Rogers to Stop Throttling Internet

Toronto-based telecom giant Rogers has responded to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission. In reaction to pressure from the CRTC's Compliance and Enforcement division, Rogers says that it will cease throttling, the act of deliberately slowing users' internet speeds. Last year, Rogers was infamously crowned in a research report the world's worst internet throttler.

Rogers sent a letter to the CRTC that acknowledged complaints issued by the Canadian Gamers Organization and laid out a timeline for correcting its malpractice.

New technologies and ongoing investments in network capacity will allow Rogers to begin phasing out that policy starting in March 2012. These changes will be introduced to half of Rogers existing Internet customers by June 2012 and to its remaining customers by December 2012.

OpenMedia, a Vancouver-based pro-internet organization, commented on the news: “We are extremely pleased that Rogers was forced to stop restricting access to online services. We commend the CRTC for moving on this, and hope that this serves as a strong reminder to all ISPs that Canadians will stand up for the open Internet when pushed.”

However, CGO founder Jason Koblovsky still expressed concern: "Rogers failed to provide the CRTC with technical data as to which games and applications they have tested themselves. Without the technical data from their tests on online games, the Canadian Gamers Organization worries that Rogers’ response may be an attempt to mislead the CRTC and the public. We continue to call on Rogers to make these numbers public.”

OpenMedia.ca pushed for and won Internet openness rules in 2009, but has since been pushing for enforcement of those rules—the consumer complaints process is the sole mechanism in place. The group says that Rogers’ response to the CRTC represents a potential first step in changing this broken system.

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Knowlton Thomas

Knowlton is the managing editor of Techvibes.
Based in Vancouver, Knowlton has been published in national publications and has also appeared on television and radio.
Previously he was an editor for New Westminster weekly The Other Press and served on its board of directors.
When not working, Knowlton enjoys hiking, tennis, and martial arts.
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